VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP Hawaii Catholic Herald
What keeps a priest going is what keeps all Christians going — we must remain active in our ministry. For priests, some of the elements are preaching, teaching and celebrating the Eucharist and other sacraments. Truth is, I am not sure whether people get a lot out of my preaching and celebrating the Eucharist, but I get an awful lot out of it. If for some reason I am unable to preach or celebrate the Eucharist for several days, my own spiritual life would become weaker.
Another source of great nourishment for me is working with people, the sick and the poor. For priests, it is very easy to identify the center of our ministry. Whenever we extend our service faithfully and conscientiously, it is a great source of grace in my own spiritual life. It may not be as easy for the lay person to recognize what their vocation or exact ministry is, but it is the same. As their lives revolve around a lifetime from raising children to other acts, the good works are there.
Regarding homilies, they come from two sources. First, they come from the Scriptures themselves. We study and pray with them. It is very important to identify yourself in the Scriptures. For example, in St. Paul’s Letter to Philemon 3:17-41, he invites others to join him in being models of conduct instead of conducting themselves as enemies of the cross. The pain he feels as he makes his plea even brings him to tears.
Who among us in ministry, whether parent, priest or single, has not at one point or another sensed being unfulfilled in ministry? Children don’t always turn out so good; parishioners don’t always seem to respond as you hope. So you participate in the disappointment of St. Paul. Later, you may come to the realization that you are only the servant. This is a great honor, to be a servant of the Lord. You are not the one to guarantee the fruitfulness or the effectiveness of any act of ministry. God is.
Secondly, there are the experiences of life. As you get older and have more experiences, you begin to value more certain ones. You know that certain experiences are merely a waste of time, while there are others that might not seem so important in the eyes of the world, but are very valuable to you spiritually and hopefully to others.
In these experiences of life, particularly in dealing with people in their struggles of disappointment, you begin to see a little bit more the presence of God. This begins to expand in your understanding of the ministry and of the Scriptures. And as you continue to grow, you are thus able to preach new things that you didn’t see before in life.
Father Patrick J. McCormick is a newly retired U.S. Navy chaplain from the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia. In his 20 years as chaplain, he served in Pearl Harbor from 2003-2008 and at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base from 2009-2010. During the summers he preaches for Cross Catholic Outreach. He will be at St. John Apostle and Evangelist Church in Mililani for a few months.
